Nordic Beef Patties with Caramelized Onion Gravy (Pannupihvit)

Published: 7/31/2026

The pinnacle of Finnish home cooking. Beef patties smothered in rich onion gravy, served with creamy mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam.

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 2 lbs (900 g) ground beef (80/20)
• 3/4 cup (75 g) breadcrumbs
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy cream
• 1 large egg
• 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 3 cups (720 ml) beef stock
• 3 tbsp (24 g) all-purpose flour
• 4 tbsp (56 g) butter
• 2.5 lbs (1.1 kg) Russet potatoes
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 jar lingonberry jam

Instructions

1. Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Mash with milk and butter until smooth.
2. Soak breadcrumbs in cream for 5 minutes. Mix with ground beef, egg, salt, and pepper. Form into 8–10 oval patties.
3. In a large skillet, melt 1 tbsp butter and fry patties over medium-high heat until browned. Remove and set aside.
4. In the same pan, add remaining butter and sliced onions. Sauté until the onions are deeply caramelized.
5. Sprinkle flour over the onions and stir for 1 minute.
6. Slowly whisk in beef stock, scraping the bottom of the pan for drippings. Simmer until thickened. Return patties to the pan to glaze.
7. Plate the patties over mashed potatoes with a spoonful of lingonberry jam on the side.

Pro Tips

• The Gravy: Building the gravy in the same pan used for the steaks captures every bit of savory flavor. It is culturally mandatory to serve this with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam.

See Also

• Classic Beef Stroganoff (Finnish Style)
• Creamy Chicken & Potato Casserole (Nordic Bake)
• Creamy Nordic Chicken Fricassée (Kanaviillokki)

Categories: mains, comfort-food